Articles Posted inEntrepreneur Immigration

In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick speaks with personal injury attorney Mitch Jackson and gives viewers insights on how to secure a job in the United States as a foreign worker, how to penetrate the market, and stand out from the crowd.

Overview:

Begin researching the different employment visa types to determine which visa is right for you depending on your level of education, skill, and the field that you want to work in. For example if you are a software engineer the H-1B visa will be a good option for you, if you want to start your own business an E-2 visa may be right for you. Once you have done some preliminary research, reach out to an immigration attorney to discuss the pros and cons of different visas that may be available to you

Understand the requirements for the visa you would like to obtain so that you can explain the process to a potential employer

Attend as many networking events as possible in your particular industry, if possible in the United States

Breaking news, a federal judge for the District of Columbia, issued a ruling in the lawsuit, National Venture Capital Association, et.al. v. Duke, et. al, overturning the government’s delay of the International Entrepreneur Rule. This means that international entrepreneurs may now apply for parole under the rule as of Friday, December 1, 2017. The caveat, however, is that since the ruling was just handed down on Friday, no application has yet been released to apply under the rule, and the current parole application is not suited for the rule. It is expected that the government will soon issue a statement regarding the court’s decision and provide further guidance on what form to use.

In its decision, the judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully delayed enforcement of the rule, when it postponed the rule from going into effect just days before the rule was set to go into effect on July 17, 2017, without following the appropriate notice-and-comment procedure required by the Administrative Procedure Act.

Entrepreneurs must keep in mind that the the Trump administration may appeal the federal judge’s decision, or continue with their plans to rescind the rule, but as it now stands the government must accept applications for the international entrepreneur rule, even if the administration continues with their plans to rescind the rule.

What is the IER?

The rule makes it easier for eligible start-up entrepreneurs to obtain temporary permission to enter the United States for a period of 30 months, or 2.5 years, through a process known as “parole,” for the purpose of starting or scaling their start-up business enterprise in the United States. The decision about whether to “parole” a foreign entrepreneur under this rule will be a discretionary determination made by the Secretary of Homeland Security on a case-by-case basis (INA Section 212(d)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)).

“Parole” will be granted to eligible entrepreneurs who can demonstrate that their company’s business operations are of significant public benefit to the United States by providing evidence of substantial and demonstrated potential for rapid business growth and job creation. Such demonstrated potential for rapid growth and job creation may be evidenced by: (1) significant capital investment from U.S. investors with established records of successful investments or (2) attainment of significant awards or grants from certain Federal, State, or local government entities.

In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick sits down with international business students studying at INSEAD, a graduate business school in France. Jacob asks them a burning question: Despite all of the obstacles foreign workers face in immigrating to the United States, and the President’s hard-line stance on immigration, are foreign workers still interested in living and working in the United States? Click here to join the conversation.

In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick discusses the most popular visa options for hospitality workers. For more information just keep on watching.

Overview:

The top visas used by Hotels and Restaurants to bring foreign workers to the United States are the J-1, H-3, H-2B, L-1, E-2, TN, and H-1B visas. Whether transferring employees between international properties or employing management trainees, immigration is an integral part of the hospitality industry. The appropriate visa type will largely depend upon the foreign worker’s qualifications and the type of position the worker will be occupying.

The J-1 visa

The J-1 visa is a cultural exchange program between the United States and foreign countries bringing foreign workers to the United States. There are 2 types of J-1 visas. The first category is a trainee J-1 visa. To qualify the trainee must have at least 5 years of experience working in the position or a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, with at least 1 year of experience. Workers who come to the United States on a J-1 trainee visa, may work in the United States for a hotel or restaurant for a period of 18 months. The J-1 trainee visa allows the foreign worker to develop their skills, gain experience, and return to their home countries taking those skills with them. The second category is for interns, who are in school in their home country or have recently graduated, and have less than 1 year of experience. Interns may come to the United States for a 1 year period to train in a hotel or restaurant. The work and travel category of the J-1 allows foreign workers to come to the United States for up to 4 months during the summer time. The J-1 visa is generally an easy visa to obtain. It takes approximately 6 weeks for this visa to get approved by the Department of State.

The Treaty Investor Visa (nonimmigrant E-2 classification) is intended for nationals of a foreign country with which a qualifying Treaty of friendship, commerce, navigation, or a similar agreement exists with the United States.

Nationals (individuals or companies) of countries with such Treaties with the United States can obtain visas to work in the USA in order to develop and direct their investment with the USA. E-2 visa is for individuals coming to the U.S. to invest a substantial amount of capital or to direct and develop the business operations of an entity in which the individual has already invested funds.

Do Franchises qualify for E2 Investor Visa?

Yes, most franchises will be a good fit for this type of visa, however not all franchises will qualify. For example, in order for the application to be successful, the investor must assume an active role in the management of the franchise business. If your franchise meets this requirement, then it is possible for your franchise to qualify for the E-2 visa.

Secondly, the franchise must create jobs for U.S. workers. The investor must hire U.S. staff and employees to fill various roles within the franchise. The investor must also hire management staff with the appropriate experience to fill certain key positions in the business.The investor must also ensure that he is involved in some sort of decision making role within the franchise business’s organizational structure.

Third, the amount of money that is required to secure the franchise must be reasonable in order to obtain the E-2 visa. Franchises that require $50,000 or less will likely not satisfy the investment requirements of the E-2 visa. Franchises that require $100,000 or more are more likely to be successful in satisfying such requirements.

Does the investor Need to Buy the Business Before applying for an E-2 Investor Visa?

Establishing a business in the United States is regarded as a key requirement for buyers that are applying for an E-2 visa.

The best course of action is to place the monies that will be used to purchase the business in an escrow account in the United States. In the visa application it is possible to state that the purchase of the business is contingent on the approval of the E-2 Visa and will be finalized once the approval is obtained. It is also important to get all the documents from the Franchise processed, so that a full package can be presented to the US Immigration when filing for the visa application.

In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick, explains the process of applying for an E-2 visa and the steps involved in that process. The E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa type (temporary) that allows foreign entrepreneurs from treaty nations to enter the United States and carry out investment and trade activities.

Overview:

The E-2 ‘investor visa’ is available to an applicant who invests a substantial amount of his own money into a U.S. business, which he can control and direct. This visa type is a great option for individuals who wish to invest their money to purchase an existing business or to start up a new one.

In order to qualify for the E-2 visa, you must be a foreign national of a country that has a treaty-trader agreement with the United States.

The following countries have treaties with the United States that allow qualifying nationals to apply for Treaty Trader status:

In this segment, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick, discusses what an L-1A visa is, the requirements, and eligibility.

Overview:

The L-1A visa classification allows a foreign company to transfer an executive or manager to the U.S. subsidiary or parent company. If an affiliated U.S. subsidiary or parent company does not yet exist, the L-1A classification allows the foreign company to send the executive or manager to the United States for the purpose of establishing the affiliated subsidiary or parent company. The L-1A requires the beneficiary to have worked abroad for the foreign employer for at least one year within the proceeding three years. The great thing about the L-1A visa is that there is no annual limit on the number of L-1A visas issued, and the L-1A visa is a “dual intent” visa meaning that the applicant may apply for a green card and become a permanent resident without jeopardizing his or her L-1 status.

In this video Attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick takes you on a tour of our law office located at 1502 Sixth Avenue in sunny San Diego, California on the corner of Beech Street and Sixth Avenue. Come and visit us today. We offer free first time consultations to meet your immigration needs.

In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses the status of the E-2 visa program for the country of Israel, as well as different E visa options for Israeli entrepreneurs. For a free first time consultation please contact our office.

Our staff members are fluent in Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Mandarin, and French.

In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses the E-2 visa option for franchisees with Sheila Purim the co-founder of Franchise Wizard, a consulting service that helps entrepreneurs connect with franchisors.

The E-2 treaty investor visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreign entrepreneurs from treaty nations to enter the United States and carry out investment and trade activities. Investment activities include the creation of a new business or investment to purchase a business. The E-2 visa is only available to foreign nationals from a country that has a qualifying treaty of friendship, commerce, navigation, or a similar agreement exists with the United States. One way to qualify for the E-2 visa is to invest in an existing franchise in the United States. The franchisee is given authorization by a company or business owner to carry out commercial activities and operate a business based on the company’s business model.

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